Management

Management

Guosheng
Qi

Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer

Guosheng Qi is one of our co-founders and has served as our chief executive officer and chairman of our Board of Directors since our inception. Mr. Qi founded Beijing Gridsum in 2005 when he was a student at Tsinghua University. Mr. Qi holds a bachelor’s degree in computer software from Tsinghua University.

Guofa
Yu

Director, Chief Operating Officer

Guofa Yu is one of our co-founders and has served as our chief operating officer and a member of our Board of Directors since 2005. Mr. Yu served as the operation director of Dyne Junhui, an information technology company, in 2005. Prior to that, Mr. Yu served as a project director of Founder Group, an information technology company, from 2002 to 2005. From 2000 to 2002, Mr. Yu served in technology and management roles in several small technology companies. From 1998 to 2000, Mr. Yu served as a software engineer at Neusoft Group, a software company. Mr. Yu holds a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from Central South University.

Michael
Peng Zhang

Co-Chief Financial Officer

Michael Peng Zhang has served as our co-chief financial officer since April 2017 and chief financial officer since February 2014. Prior to joining us, Mr. Zhang served as a managing director of Cowen & Company, an investment banking firm, from 2008 to January 2013. Prior to that, Mr. Zhang served as a principal of ThinkEquity Partners LLC, an investment banking firm, from 2005 to 2007. Mr. Zhang also held management and operational positions at China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding, a clean energy company, Shenzhen Techlink Science & Technologies, a technology company, and Stephens Inc., a financial services firm, from 1992 to 2005. Mr. Zhang holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Renmin University of China and a master’s degree in business administration from Wake Forest University. Mr. Zhang is a Certified Public Accountant and a CFA charterholder.

Ravi
Sarathy

Co-Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Sarathy has served as our co-chief financial officer since April 2017 and chief strategy officer from October 2016. Prior to joining Gridsum, Mr. Sarathy was head of APAC Internet and Software Equity Research at Citigroup from 2010 to 2016. In 2000, Mr. Sarathy co-founded and served as President of iRealitygroup, a leading Asia-focused TMT corporate finance, M&A and investment boutique. Mr. Sarathy also served as the head of global Internet research and also the head of Asia Internet, media and telecommunications research at Lehman Brothers from 1996 to 2000. Mr. Sarathy holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree, both in economics, from Peterhouse, Cambridge University.

John
Jiyang Liu

Chief Technology Officer

John Jiyang Liu has served as our chief technology officer since December 2014. Prior to joining us, Mr. Liu was an engineer, research manager and R&D director of Microsoft Corporation, a software company, from 1998 to December 2014, and an engineer at Hewlett-Packard Company, a computer company, from 1994 to 1998. Mr. Liu served as a researcher at University of Paderborn from 1989 to 1990. Mr. Liu holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Tsinghua University and a master’s degree in computer science from University of Pittsburgh.

Aaron
Feng Li

Co-President

Aaron Feng Li has served as our co-president since 2009. Prior to joining us, Mr. Li served as the general manager of the key account division and general manager of the East China branch of Baidu, Inc. from 2004 to 2008. Prior to that, Mr. Li was the sales director of China eNet Internet Co., an internet media company, from 2000 to 2004. Mr. Li served as the chief representative of the Beijing region of Xiamen Powerlong Industrial Co., Ltd., a technology company, from 1991 to 1995. Mr. Li holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial analysis from Qiqihar University and a Global Executive MBA degree from China Europe International Business School.

Michael
Yang Xu

Co-President

Michael Yang Xu has served as our co-president since April 2008. Prior to that, Mr. Xu served as the general manager of multiple divisions of Sinochem Tianjin Co Limited, a subsidiary of Sinochem Group, from 2005 to 2007. Mr. Xu also held various investment and management positions at Sinochem Group, a Chinese state-owned chemical enterprise, from 1994 to 1999, including serving as financial controller of Zhonghuan Jinyuan Real Estate Co Limited, a subsidiary of Sinochem Group. Mr. Xu is currently a director of Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization, also known as SEMPO, and the chairman of SEMPO’s Greater China working group. Mr. Xu holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Renmin University of China, a master’s degree in telecommunication systems from California State University, East Bay, and an MBA degree from California State University, East Bay.

Herman
Fong

Co-President

Herman Fong has served as our Co-President and a member of our Board of Directors since 2019. Mr. Fong brings approximately 22 years of experience in the financial markets to Gridsum. From 2011 to October 2018, he was a partner and Chief Investment Officer of Public Markets Strategy at Pacific Alliance Group (“PAG”) Hong Kong, one of Asia’s largest alternative investment management firms that manages assets across a diverse array of private equity, real estate and absolute return strategies. While at PAG, he started and managed the firm’s liquid trading strategies business, and oversaw the investment, trading, operations, risk and compliance teams. Prior to PAG Hong Kong, he started the Hong Kong office for D.B. Zwirn Asia Partners Ltd., where he was Managing Director and CIO of Asia Pacific liquid trading strategies from 2005 to 2008. Prior to D.B. Zwirn, he held a variety of senior roles in trading across Asia, including at ABN AMRO Bank in Hong Kong from 2002 to 2005, Credit Agricole Indosuez in Hong Kong from 2000 to 2002, Lehman Brothers in Tokyo from 1998 to 2000, and Salomon Brothers in Hong Kong from 1996 to 1998. Mr. Fong received a Master of Science in operations research from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from University of California, Berkeley.